Commentary by Will Arrington Recently, the world was rocked by the death of one of the last remaining champions of communism. Fidel Castro’s death, to many, was a cause for celebration. To those who reveled, his death represented the beginning of the end of a system that has been blamed for mass exodus from Cuba, arbitrary imprisonment of dissidents, brutal political repression and crushing economic hardship. For many others, it was a time to mourn. They have praised Castro’s reforms to Cuban healthcare and education – which even today are amongst the strongest in Latin America – the role...

Photo by Jackie Helvey Like many of our WCHL Hometown Heroes, this week’s hero is known for her humble and understated nature. Florence Peacock has been recognized for her quiet cultural contributions to the Chapel Hill community. “Florence is special because of her humility and her generosity,” said Nerys Levy, who nominated Peacock. “She has contributed so much to our community quietly … She is constantly looking for people to support and to further in their arts careers.” A staunch supporter of Carolina Performing Arts, the North Carolina Opera and the North Carolina Symphony, Peacock also takes the time...

Commentary by Walt Mack It’s make or break time for the Durham/Orange County Light Rail Line, and sticker shock has put a glaze over the eyes of taxpayers. What started out as a price tag of $1.6 billion for the 17-mile track has escalated to over $1.87 billion. As construction draws near in 2020, we could be staring at a staggering $2 billion price tag. In 2011 and 2012, voters in Durham and Orange Counties approved a .5 cent sales tax to fund their share of the cost of the project, while the Federal Transportation Authority was to pay $1.25 billion over 10 years and the State of North Carolina share was to be $467 million. Earlier this year, the General Assembly threw a monkey wrench into Go Triangle’s plans by budgeting only $187 million– far short of what Go Triangle was expecting. So who is being asked to make up the difference? You guessed it—Durham and Orange County taxpayers, possibly by increasing property taxes. Additional costs will be incurred, since Go Triangle has proposed extending the line from the Alston Road North station to the North Carolina Central University campus. Go Triangle is now facing a December 31 deadline to begin the engineering phase of the project. This is not the scenario voters in Durham and Orange County expected when they approved the half cent sales tax. It...

Chapelboro.com is looking for a few interns based out of our Chapel Hill office. 3-6 month program; can be renewed with approval. 5-10 flexible hours per week. Currently lives/resides in the Chapel Hill area (Hillsborough, Pittsboro, Durham, Carrboro) Interns must have reliable transportation Wait, What is Chapelboro.com? Chapelboro.com is the digital arm of WCHL radio. It is an online newspaper offering news produced by the WCHL news department, sports reports, podcasts of our weekly programs, as well as a comprehensive Community Calendar of events. As a Chapelboro Intern (we prefer Community Ambassador) what will you gain? Our “Community Ambassadors”...

Featured in our Adopt-A-Pet segment this week is Dori! Dori is around two years old and is mostly black with a splotch of white on her chest. She has beautiful brown eyes, and her right ear flops over while the left ear stands straight and tall! Dori came from a rural shelter and was rescued the morning she was to be euthanized. Dori loves to go for walks, and is very smart, she listens to instructions and wants to please. She is housetrained and is quickly learning leash manners and other commands. She is as sweet as can be and...

Featured in our Adopt-A-Pet segment this week are twin kittens Alanna and Alex! About three months old, these black and white shorthair twins were found on Highway 54 in August. They’ve been living in the Orange County Animal Services shelter since. Both are up-to-date on their shots and ready to be adopted. Both are affectionate and relaxed cats, easy to transport and easier to love. As part of “Home for the Holidays” at Orange County Animal Services, adoption fees are reduced from November 16th through December 31st. ...

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